The first Accordion Pool Party was held held on Saturday, September 12, 2009, at the abandoned Lawrenceville City Pool in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event was organized by Deb Knox and Susan Englert, who received grants from the Sprout Fund and the Lawrenceville Corporation to cover expenses.

About 300 people attended the party, and at least 100 danced in the pool to music provided by the 15-member accordion band. The accordionists played four sets of waltzes, polkas, tangos, and ethnic pieces such as: Zalajdy-Zulajda, Makedonsko Devojce, Miserlu, Dai Mi Dai, Grand Bosco, Ciel de Paris, Adios Muchachos, and others. Some accordionists performed solo works, including Robert Kubacki, Rado Angelov, Henry Doktorski, and Doktorski’s 11-year-old student, Christopher Manko.

Deb Knox, one of the accordionists, a member of the Balkan Babes and the event manager and director of the accordionists, said the Accordion Pool Party was a big event to get the neighborhood to start thinking about what it can make happen more permanently at Leslie pool, which has been closed for five years.

The extravaganza of accordions also brought on board the Guinea West African Drum and Dance Ensemble to provide an opening act and the beat for the finale: a world dance party in the pool. Regardless of the ultimate fate of the pool, a get together like this will bring many intangible positive results.